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Adventure Pass Grants Program

Parks California, in partnership with California State Parks, is excited to announce the launch of the Adventure Pass Grants Program. Through this grants program, we aim to support transportation, programs and activities needed for 4th graders and their families to explore California State Parks.

Studies¹ indicate that access to parks and greenspace can lead to improvements in children’s physical well-being, social/emotional learning, and academic outcomes, with children experiencing reduced stress² and demonstrating more enthusiasm³ for school. Every child should have easy access to parks. This program is one way we all can make that possible.

2023 Adventure Pass Grants Eligibility Criteria: 

  1. Proposal must connect 4th graders and their families to a California State Park or Beach. 
  2. The California State Park or Beach must be one of the 19 participating in the Adventure Pass pilot program.  
  3. Participants must include underrepresented communities who may face challenges getting to or enjoying parks including but not limited to – low-income, physical and/or emotional disabilities and/or People of Color.  
  4. Program reduces the park access transportation barriers to enjoying parks.  
  5. Program provides relevant experiences for participants in CA State Parks.  
  6. Programs that foster dialogue, collaboration and partnership with California State Parks.    
    1. All applicants must engage with the proposed park site prior to submitting a grant proposal and have dialogue about the proposed park visits and activities. A letter of acknowledgment from the park in which you intend to visit must be attached to the proposal at submission to be considered.  

 Preference were given to programs that:  

  1. Provide participants with multiple, meaningful, and relevant outdoor experiences.  
  2. Have an innovative and/or sustainable transportation approach. 
  3. Have history in engaging and offering programming for underrepresented communities who may face challenges getting to or enjoying parks including but not limited to – low-income, physical and/or emotional disabilities and/or People of Color. 
  4. For Adventure Park Pass program evaluation efforts, provide opportunity for random sampling of participants for follow-up surveys. 

View 2023 Grantees

To learn more about this and other grant opportunities, sign up for the Parks California Newsletter at the top of this page!

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